Bloodied Sky: Book 1: Invasion
by Amelia Bright
Summary: BloodClan is back, led by Scourge's vicious son, Falcon. They have come to SkyClan's territory. Tensions are rising as both Clans prepare for the imminent war. 2 POVs: Shadepaw of SkyClan & Storm of BloodClan.
1. Allegiances

Allegiances

**SkyClan**

Leader: Leafstar: brown and cream tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Deputy: Sharpclaw: dark ginger tom with green eyes, mate: Clovertail

Medicine Cat: Echosong: silver tabby she-cat with green eyes

Warriors  
Patchfoot: black and white tom with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Leopardpaw

Clovertail: light brown she-cat with white belly and legs and green eyes, mate: Sharpclaw

Petalnose: pale gray she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Shadepaw

Sparrowpelt: dark brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Cherrytail: tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes, mate: Bounceheart

Rockfall: black tom with amber eyes  
Apprentices: Hazelpaw

Bounceheart: ginger tom with green eyes, mate: Cherrytail

Tinyflower: small white she-cat with blue eyes

Sagewhisker: pale gray tom with green eyes

Mintsong: gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Apprentices  
Leopardpaw: golden she-cat with brown spots and amber eyes, parents: Clovertail & Sharpclaw

Shadepaw: black she-cat with dark blue eyes, parents: Cherrytail & Bounceheart

Hazelpaw: brown tabby tom with light green eyes, parents: Clovertail & Sharpclaw

**BloodClan**

Leader: Falcon: light brown tabby tom with dark green eyes, Scourge's son

Deputy: Storm: dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes, mate: Ruby

Medicine Cat: Camo: tortoiseshell she-cat with amber eyes

Warriors  
Scorch: ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Ragged: brown tabby she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice: Pearl

Ruby: russet-colored she-cat with amber eyes, mate: Storm

Ash: dark gray tom with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Claw

Ice: white tom with blue eyes

Viper: black she-cat with amber eyes

Spike: brown tabby tom with blue eyes

Badger: black and white tom with amber eyes, mate: Splash  
Apprentice: Oak

Splash: gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes, mate: Badger

Whisker: huge brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
Appprentice: Venom

Oscar: black tom with green eyes

Apprentices  
Claw: black tom with amber eyes, parents: Ruby & Storm

Pearl: white she-cat with amber eyes, parents: Splash & Badger

Oak: brown tom with green eyes, parents: Splash & Badger

Venom: dark silver tom with blue eyes, parents: Splash & Badger


	2. Chapter 1

**This story will be told from 2 POVs (though still in 3rd person): Shadepaw from SkyClan and Storm from BloodClan. This is so the readers can have an idea of what is happening in both Clans. I'll try to put both POVs in each chapter. Shadepaw's will always come first, and there will always be a line separating them, like this: **

* * *

Shadepaw could hardly contain herself. She was finally an apprentice! Her best friends, Hazelpaw and Leopardpaw, were brother and sister, both a moon older than her, so she was relieved that she could be with them again. She was also glad to have Petalnose for a mentor. The pale gray she-cat had always been nice to her. Shadepaw looked back into the throng of SkyClan cats to see her mother, Cherrytail, and her father, Bounceheart. They were looking towards the Rockpile with pride in their eyes.

After she touched noses with her new mentor, the Clan called out her new name so loud that the kittypets in the nearby Twolegplace could probably hear them, "Shadepaw! Shadepaw! Shadepaw!"

Hearing the entire Clan cheer for her and only her made Shadepaw's heart swell with pride. Someday she would be the greatest warrior SkyClan had ever seen. She came down from the Rockpile with one simple leap.

"Congratulations!" Leopardpaw purred, "You're an apprentice at last. That means we can train together. Aren't you excited?"

"Definitely. I can't wait until tomorrow."

"That's great," said Hazelpaw, coming from behind, "Come on, I'll show you where you can sleep."

Shadepaw nodded, "Okay."

* * *

"Storm! Storm, get over here this instant! Hurry up or I'll rip your entire pelt off!"

Falcon's frenzied cry jolted Storm from his sleep. Although Storm was BloodClan's deputy, Falcon, the leader, had almost no respect for him. The only reason Storm even was deputy was because BloodClan, the fierce Clan of the massive Twolegplace, did it a little differently than the other Clans. Instead of the leader choosing the deputy, the deputy position was decided by a duel to the death. Two cats who wanted the position would fight, and whichever one lived became the deputy. Storm got his spot in BloodClan by killing Snake, brother of the legendary Barley, one of only three cats who got out of BloodClan alive. And of course, Falcon had never liked Storm.

Storm entered Falcon's den, his head held low, "Yes, what is it Falcon?"

"I have realized that the Twolegplace might not be the safest place for my Clan to live. Over the past few seasons, more cats have been killed by monsters than ever before. I think it is time for us to move."

"But Falcon," Storm objected, "BloodClan has lived in the Twolegplace since the beginning, and members have been squashed by monsters, since the beginning. That's just the way it is. Why should we leave?"

Falcon stood up and snarled, "Are you trying ot tell me how to run my Clan again Storm?"

"W-well n-no, b-but..." Storm stuttered.

"Get out of my sight!" Falcon spat, "I am the leader of this Clan, and what I say goes. You have no right to tell me what to do!"

"Of course not. I'll go. In case you've forgotten, though, I am deputy of this Clan."

"Is that all you have to say on the matter?" Falcon questioned.

"Yes. Sorry to have bothered you."


	3. Chapter 2

The harsh light of the sun shone into Shadepaw's eyes and woke her up. Hazelpaw was gone, but Leopardpaw was still in the den, sitting up and waiting for Shadepaw.

"It's about time you woke up."

"Why are you waiting for me anyway, Leopardpaw?"

"We're going to show you around the territory today, so Patchfoot told me to get you when you woke up," Leopardpaw explained.

"Okay then, let's go."

They headed out. As they approached the two mentors, they heard Sharpclaw cry, "Patchfoot!"

"Yes?" the black and white tom asked.

"Sagewhisker, Rockfall, and I need you for a border patrol," said the deputy.

"Okay. Petalnose, can you watch Leopardpaw for me?"

"Absolutely."

"Thanks."

Petalnose turned to the apprentices, "Okay, Shadepaw, today will be your first time out of the camp. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

"Great. First, we're going to walk around the upper ridge of the gorge and up to the Skyrock. Then, we'll take you to see the training hollow and the best places to find moss."

Shadepaw was about ready to jump out of her fur. She knew that her first day out as an apprentice was going to be great! The three she-cats started out of the entrance. Shadepaw had never seen any of this before. She had heard stories of kits who had gone exploring before they became apprentices, but she had never been one of them.

As they kept going, the scenery changed dramatically. Instead of an open forest with tall, high-branched trees, it was a wide expanse of land with no trees and only a few shrubs. The ground was very rocky, and pebbles got between Shadepaw's toes. Luckily, her pads were very thick, so she didn't have to worry about the stones hurting her paws.

When they got to the Skyrock, Shadepaw was overcome with awe. From the steep ledge she could she the entire camp, as well as the forest beyond. She felt like she could lay a claim on the entire world, and that nothing could hurt her, because she was as magnificent and immortal as the sky. This is what it felt like to be a real SkyClan warrior!

* * *

The whole day, Storm was restless. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't let go of the nagging thought that it wasn't safe for BloodClan to leave their home in search of a new one. However, he couldn't question Falcon's decision unless he just wanted to get torn to shreds!

Ruby, his mate, came over.

"What seems to be the problem, Storm?" she asked.

He sighed, "Falcon thinks that we should leave the Twolegplace. He says we are in danger of losing more warriors to the monsters. He wants to find some new territory in the forest."

"I see. Well, maybe it's for the best. After all, with all these Twolegs around, it's becoming harder and harder to find prey."

Storm laughed shakily, "Sometimes I wonder if it would be better for all of us if you were deputy, Ruby."

"Maybe. That is, if you're willing to have a battle to the death with me."

Storm grinned, "As tempting as that sounds...no."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, "I'd miss you too much."

Before Storm got a chance to speak, his son, Claw, came running over, amber eyes wide with excitement.

"What is it, Claw?" Ruby asked.

He couldn't contain it any longer, "I killed a cat! I killed for the first time! I'm going to be a warrior!"

"That's great!" Storm congratulated him, "Can we see?"

"Yeah!"

Claw led the way to the alley. "It was a kittypet," he stated proudly.

Storm looked at the body. It was a small ginger she-cat with white paws. There was a long slash down her side.

"Good job, son," Ruby said.

Falcon came out of his den and said, "Well, Claw, it seems you've had your first kill. It's time you became a warrior."

He cleared his throat and began the BloodClan warrior ceremony, "Scourge, if you are somewhere listening, look upon this apprentice! He has killed another cat, and in doing so, has proven his loyalty to BloodClan! Watch him with pride! Claw, son of Storm and Ruby, you are now an official warrior of BloodClan!"


	4. Chapter 3

**Can anyone guess who the ginger she-cat Claw killed was in the last chapter? If you can, please give me your guess, and you can win millions of dollars in fabulous prizes! (well, you can try) I'll give you a hint: She isn't mentioned in the actual books, but in a short story featured in _Warriors Field Guide: Secrets of the Clans. _Also, can somebody please tell me what a Mary Sue is?**

* * *

The next day, Shadepaw went to learn hunting techniques with Leopardpaw and Hazelpaw. Petalnose showed them the perfect way to stalk a mouse, and Rockfall introduced the difficult task of catching a bird. Patchfoot was, once again, on patrol. The mentors then let the three apprentices practice on their own. Shadepaw saw a squirrel, and, assuming it would work the same way as it would with a mouse, began to stalk it.

From behind, Hazelpaw shouted, "Hey loser!" Shadepaw turned around in surprise, and the squirrel ran up a tree.

Shadepaw growled at the green-eyed tom, "I thought you had gotten over that when you left the nursery."

"Please," he chuckled, "That never gets old."

"Oh, yes it does!" Shadepaw replied, then ran and tackled Hazelpaw. Unfortunately, he had already learned some fighting moves, so in no time Shadepaw was pinned to the ground.

Shadepaw growled, "Just you wait until I've had as much training as you. You won't be able to see what's hit you."

"Well until then, let's get back to hunting," said Leopardpaw, "Hazelpaw, get off of her. If Petalnose and Rockfall find out that we're just goofing off, we'll be in big trouble.

"Okay," the other two apprentices sighed in unison. That was classic Leopardpaw: always right, and always the mentors' pet.

"Shadepaw," she continued, "Let me show you the real way to hunt a squirrel."

* * *

The time had come. BloodClan was leaving the Twolegplace to find a new home.

"Storm," Falcon directed, "Go to the back of the line and make sure everyone is following."

"Yes sir!"

Storm ran back. Sure enough, everyone was there. He ran to the front to let Falcon know.

"All accounted for."

"Good," the leader purred quietly.

As BloodClan got to the forest where the great battle with the four warrior Clans had taken place, the cats noticed an odd occurence. All of the trees were gone, and their was no sign of life except for a few gigantic Twoleg monsters, but they were asleep, already turned cold. Even in the clearing where four mighty oak trees once stood, there was nothing to be seen but churned up dirt and piles of burnt wood.

Storm felt Ruby's soft, warm pelt against his, "What happened here?" she whispered.

"I have no idea," he admitted, "It has changed drastically since the time we came here for battle."

Ruby hadn't been there. She was pregnant with Claw the day the battle took place. However, Storm remembered it vividly. The clearing was filled with many, many cats. The battle cries of the warriors pierced the still, cold air. Storm had fought with a great number of cats. He still had scars laced through his dark gray pelt left over from that fateful day. The most memorable one had been inflicted by an aging tortoiseshell she-cat, who all the while had been shouting, "Gorsepaw! Gorsepaw! Gorsepaw!" her dark amber eyes flashing like a madcat. The scratch was right down the side of Storm's neck.

Many BloodClan warriors were killed that day, most were hurt badly, and in the end, they were driven out of the forest. Now, they were back, and the other Clans were driven out, but the forest was uninhabitable. They would have to travel farther.


	5. Chapter 4

**First off, congratulations to ANONYMUS for guessing the correct answer of Barley's sister, Violet, as the cat Claw killed. Anyways, here's the next chapter!**

* * *

Shadepaw was at battle practice with Petalnose. Leopardpaw and Hazelpaw were on patrol.

"Okay," Petalnose directed, "First, we'll do something basic. I'm going to pretend to be a fox who is raiding the nursery, and all I want you to do is try to stop me in any way possible."

"Sure," Shadepaw replied.

Shadepaw started running, and barreled right into Petalnose, head first. Her mentor stood her ground.

"Come on, is that as creative as you're going to get?"

Shadepaw let out a huff of air. Once again, she ran towards Petalnose. This time, about a tail-length away, Shadepaw launched herself into the air, and landed squarely on Petalnose's shoulders. Then, claws sheathed, she cuffed her on the side of the head, and using all of her weight, slammed Petalnose into the ground.

"Very good, Shadepaw. You know, I've never seen any cat think of using a move like that."

"Thank you."

"Of course, against a fox, you would need to unsheath your claws."

"Well, duh!" Shadepaw sighed. Petalnose gave her a stern look.

"Oh," she gasped.

Petalnose rolled her eyes, "Next, I'm going to pin you down. Using your instinct, try to get me off."

Shadepaw nodded. Petalnose took a few steps over and got on top of the apprentice, holding her down firmly. Shadepaw started wriggling around in order to shake her off, but it didn't work. She then went limp and tried to slide herself between Petalnose's legs. Still didn't work. Shadepaw thought a moment. Then, it dawned on her. She pushed upwards, pressing her paws against her mentor's chest. Petalnose fell back and landed in the dirt.

"How was that?" Shadepaw asked hopefully.

"Good. Very good," replied Petalnose, "We made a lot of progress for just one day."

"Great!"

They headed back to camp. Shadepaw grabbed a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile and sat next to Hazelpaw.

"How was your patrol?" she asked him.

"It went well, but it was pretty boring. No sign of rogues or foxes or badgers or rats or Twolegs or monsters or kittypets or dogs or anything!"

"Pfft!" exclaimed Shadepaw, "Toms!"

"Hey! Don't say that! After the patrol we did go hunting, you know. I just so happened to catch that squirrel you're eating."

"That definitely explains why it's so hairy and tough," Shadepaw laughed.

Hazelpaw sighed, "So ungrateful."

* * *

The BloodClan cats traveled farther. A few started to complain.

"Calm down!" Falcon yowled, "This is for your own good!"

"Maybe you should give them a break. They do look pretty exhausted," Storm offered.

"Be quiet, Storm."

Falcon looked back to survey his Clan, then looked ahead to survey the area.

"I guess this would be a good place to stop for the night," he decided.

The Clan let out a mutual breathe of relief. They settled down and almost immediately fell asleep. Storm was about to, but Falcon ended up calling him over.

"Yes?" asked Storm.

"Obviously, this place is uninhabitable for BloodClan to live in. What do you think should the next move be?"

"Well, I can faintly smell pine coming from that direction," he said, pointing with his paw, "Maybe in the morning, we should head that way."

Falcon nodded, "Good idea. Now go Storm, you should get some sleep."

"Okay," Storm agreed, and settled down next to Ruby, breathing in her warm scent.


	6. Chapter 5

Over the past few days, Shadepaw had been training and progressing. She had recently caught her first prey, a blackbird, as well as quite a few others. She learned all sorts of fighting moves that would help in battles with cats, badgers, and almost anything that crossed her path. Petalnose claimed that Shadepaw learned faster than any apprentice she had ever met.

Now, Shadepaw was on a border patrol with Petalnose as well as Sparrowpelt, Clovertail, and Sagewhisker. She was ready to show these warriors what she was capable of.

When they were at the border, Clovertail renewed the scent marks. Shadepaw walked next to Sagewhisker, the youngest cat on the patrol besides herself. He was Petalnose's son.

"What is it like to be a warrior?" Shadepaw asked.

Sagewhisker smiled, "It's great. I've achieved so much, and I'm really proud of myself."

"Wow," Shadepaw whispered, "That sounds awesome."

"It is."

"What do you think you want to do next? It's always been my dream to become deputy."

"Good for you, but be careful. That's a really high goal. Don't be too down on yourself if you never achieve it. But still, if you want it, go for it. As for me, I really want to be a mentor."

"Well, good luck to you. I'm sure you'd do a great job."

Sagewhisker beamed, "Thanks."

"Shadepaw!" Petalnose called.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to do this scent mark?"

"Sure!" Shadepaw agreed. She ran over and renewed the mark.

"How about we show these guys what you've learned?" Petalnose whispered in here ear.

"Okay."

"So," Petalnose asked, sitting up straight, "Besides the border, what do you smell, Shadepaw?"

"Um, fox, but it's kind of stale. There's lots of prey out here too. And I smell, cat! But it's not a scent I recognize. It smells a bit like crowfood."

The other warriors looked alarmed.

"I smell it too," Sparrowpelt said.

Suddenly, a cry rang out. A black tom ran to them, snarling.

"Oscar!" Sparrowpelt yowled in surprise.

"That's right," Oscar sneered, "I'm back, and I've met some new cats."

As he said that, a white tom and a brown tabby she-cat stepped out of the bushes.

"I'm Ice," said the white tom.

"And my name is Ragged," the she-cat added.

"We're from BloodClan," growled Ice.

"What's BloodClan?" asked Clovertail, bunching her muscles together, ready to attack if necessary.

Ragged spoke, "A group of cats that is going to take over this forest and drive you out."

"Not if we can help it," Petalnose spat, and she sprang at Ragged.

When he saw his Clanmate taken down, Ice tackled Sagewhisker. The gray tom fought back, but Ice was too powerful for the young warrior to handle alone. Shadepaw sprang forward to help her friend. She instantly slashed her claws against Ice's white muzzle, and the tom cried out in alarm.

Nearby, Clovertail and Petalnose worked together to fight Ragged, and Sparrowpelt and Oscar circled around, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Eventually, Sparrowpelt did, and they fought like LionClan cats.

"Enough!" a voice shouted, and all seven cats stopped fighting. Oscar and the two BloodClan cats shrank back in fear. Shadepaw glanced up to see a powerful-looking brown tabby tom glaring at them with dark green eyes.

He spoke again, "What is the meaning of this fight?"

"Falcon," Ice called, "We wanted to get these cats out of our new territory."

Falcon snarled at him, and Ice looked at his paws, ashamed.

"I didn't tell you to fight them. I told you to warn them. The time for battle will come soon, but not yet. And as for you, Oscar, your fighting style is impressive. I think you would be a good addition to BloodClan."

"Oh, thank you," Oscar said, while Ice and Ragged looked at him jealously.

The four BloodClan cats left. Boy, would Shadepaw have a story to tell her friends today.

* * *

Storm picked at a squirrel, alone. The other BloodClan cats were all somewhere else. Ice and Ragged had gone with the kittypet, Oscar, to scope out the new territory. Falcon had followed farther behind to watch their progress, but they did not know. Ruby was sharing tongues with her friend Splash, and Claw had already fallen asleep.

The leaves crunched, and Storm looked up to see Falcon coming. Oscar was behind, with Ice and Ragged following him. They glared ahead, obviously offended, and Oscar's green eyes shone with pride for an unknown reason.

Falcon got on top of a large rock.

"Cats of BloodClan," he called, "We have found that another group of cats has already claimed this territory. However, that will not stop us. Also, I would like to welcome Oscar to join BloodClan. His fighting skills were very good, and we will need new members if we want to take over this forest. Oscar, have you ever killed a cat?"

"Yes," said Oscar. Storm instantly knew he was lying. He could tell by the way that Oscar's tail curled over his back, and his eyes shifted side to side. Storm could not believe it. He had never seen any cat lie to Falcon. Then again, if any had, they probably didn't live to tell about it.

"Very good. Then you can be a warrior. Scourge, if you are somewhere listening, look upon this cat! He has proven to loyalty to BloodClan, and he wishes to join! Watch him with pride! Oscar, you are now an official warrior of BloodClan!"

Storm was glad. Having another warrior would be of great good to BloodClan, even if that other warrior was also a liar.


	7. Chapter 6

Shadepaw followed the warriors back to camp. As they got there, Clovertail ran to Leafstar's den to tell her what they saw. The Clan could tell that the patrol was worried. The younger warriors asked Sagewhisker about it, while the older ones talked to Petalnose and Sparrowpelt.

Leopardpaw and Hazelpaw went up to Shadepaw.

"What happened?" Leopardpaw asked, "Clovertail couldn't have run to Leafstar any faster unless she was a LeopardClan cat, Sagewhisker seems twitchy, and Sparrowpelt looks as if he has seen a ghost."

"BloodClan has come," Shadepaw replied solemnly.

"Wait a minute," said Hazelpaw, "What is BloodClan?"

Before Shadepaw could answer, Leafstar called from the Rockpile, "Everybody, listen. This is a serious matter we have. Clovertail has informed me that her patrol came across some invading cats. They claim to be from BloodClan, and they want to take our territory as their own. We can't have that, can we?"

"No!" cried many of the cats.

"That's right. Clovertail also said that one member, Falcon, declared that a battle is imminent. Because of that, we must be prepared. Mentors and apprentices, you must train even harder. Other warriors need to make sure to look out extra carefully and report any run ins between us and this BloodClan to either me or Sharpclaw immediately."

The meeting broke up.

"This is terrible!" Leopardpaw exclaimed, "SkyClan worked so hard to get this territory, and now a new group of cats are trying to take it away from us. We can't let this happen!"

"No, we can't," Hazelpaw agreed.

"Something must be done," said Shadepaw.

"Hey, Shadepaw," Sagewhisker's voice came from behind, "Can I talk to you?"

"Sure!" Shadepaw replied.

Hazelpaw looked resentful to see Sagewhisker talking to Shadepaw as they walked off.

"What's wrong?" Leopardpaw asked.

"Nothing," grumbled Hazelpaw, "Nothing at all."

* * *

Storm led a patrol with Badger and Viper. The other two cats looked around the forest in awe. They had never seen a place quite like it. Storm, on the other hand, had grown up in a forest, until his mother brought him to BloodClan for protection, so it was nothing new to him.

They walked on, but there was no sign of the cats that lived here. Then, a white she-cat walked over to them. Storm noticed that her eyes were unusual, one green, one blue. Behind her were two kits, one gray tom and one light ginger she-cat.

"Well, hello there," she said cheerfully.

"Hello," Storm responded, "Are you part of the group of cats that lives in these parts?"

"Oh, you mean SkyClan? No, I'm not, although I do admire them."

Upon hearing that, Badger and Viper growled fiercely at her.

"Who are you?" Badger asked menacingly.

"My name is Rose," she replied, slightly disturbed at his tone.

"What are your kits names?" asked Viper, her amber eyes narrow.

"The tom is Smokey and the she-cat is Gingersnap. Why do you ask?"

Badger flicked his tail to Storm and whispered, "Gingersnap looks strong. She would be a good addition to BloodClan."

Storm nodded, "She definitely would be."

"Well, are we going to do what I think we're going to do?" Viper asked hopefully.

Storm smiled, "Absolutely."

They turned back to Rose.

"Give us Gingersnap," Storm growled.

"What!" Rose exploded, her nose curling into a fierce snarl.

"Don't worry," said Badger, "We don't want to hurt her, but she would be a valuable cat for BloodClan to have."

"BloodClan?" Rose asked, still angry.

"Shut up!" snapped Viper, "You and Smokey can go, but leave Gingersnap with us."

"Never!" yowled Rose, and she attacked the cat closest to her, Storm. He easily shoved her off, but she just got back up and fought again. Her kits looked terrified. Badger snuck up behind them and grabbed Gingersnap.

"No!" the kit shrieked, "Let me go! I want to stay with Rose and Smokey!"

"Calm down," Viper said, her voice filled with honey-coated venom, "You'll be safe with us."

Storm pinned Rose down triumphantly.

"You listen here," he growled in her face, "Don't mess with BloodClan, understand?"

Rose nodded weakly.

"Good," he replied, "Let's go."

Viper and Badger followed him out. Rose looked down in shame and pity. Smokey leaned against her.

"What are they going to do with Gingersnap?" he asked sadly.

"I don't know," Rose sighed, "I just don't know."

Then, an idea dawned on her, "I know! Let's get help from SkyClan!"

She picked up Smokey by the scruff and slowly walked the other way.

* * *

**As you can see, Storm can act like a real BloodClan cat when he wants to… **


	8. Chapter 7

Shadepaw sat in the apprentice den with Leopardpaw and Hazelpaw.

They had a long day of training, and they were exhausted until they heard Leafstar's voice say, "Hello there. Can we help you with something?"

The three apprentices ran out and saw a white she-cat standing in the Clan's midst. By her side was a gray kit, probably only four moons old, his yellow-green eyes wide with fear.

"Yes," she responded, "I'm Rose, and this is my son, Smokey. We recently ran into three cats who said they were from BloodClan, and they kitnapped my daughter, Gingersnap. Can you please help us?"

"Of course," said Leafstar, "If you don't mind me asking, what did these cats look like? And did they say their names?"

"They didn't say their names, but one was a dark gray tabby tom, one was a black and white tom, and one was a black she-cat. They all had amber eyes."

"Sharpclaw!" Leafstar called, "What did Clovertail say the cats from yesterday look like?"

"Two were brown tabbies: one tom and one she-cat, both with green eyes; and one white tom with blue eyes."

"That means there are probably more where they came from," Leafstar said.

"Please!" Rose cried, "Help me get Gingersnap back! I'll owe you forever!"

"That's alright," said Leafstar, "You don't have to owe us anything. In fact, how would you like to join SkyClan, Rose?"

"That would be great."

"Okay. I'll give you your name in just a moment. First, Sharpclaw, I want you to lead a patrol to wherever those BloodClan cats are and get Gingersnap back. You can choose who you take."

"Okay," he said, "How about Petalnose, Patchfoot, Rockfall, Bounceheart, Tinyflower, Shadepaw, Hazelpaw, and Sagewhisker?"

"Perfect," replied Leafstar.

"Alright!" exclaimed Shadepaw, "Aren't you excited, Hazelpaw?"

"Definitely, I can't wait to kick some BloodClan butt!"

"Good luck guys," said Leopardpaw, a little sad about being left behind, "And be safe."

Shadepaw rolled her eyes, "We will."

As the two apprentices walked out behind Sharpclaw and the rest of the patrol, Shadepaw's father, Bounceheart, came over.

"Shadepaw, are you ready?" he asked.

"Of course! This could be my first real fight!"

Bounceheart purred, "Just what I want to hear."

Rockfall flicked his tail for Bounceheart to join him.

"Sorry, honey. I have to go."

"That's okay."

Hazelpaw was about to say something, but then Sagewhisker called, "Hey, Shadepaw!"

"Yes?" she replied, turning to face him. Hazelpaw couldn't help but notice that her blue eyes were filled with admiration as she talked to the pale gray warrior. He sighed.

* * *

In Badger's jaws, Gingersnap squirmed.

"Hey!" snapped Viper, "Stop that!"

The small ginger kit ignored her.

Unfortunately, Viper wasn't used to being ignored.

"I said, Stop that!" she growled.

"Calm down, Viper," said Storm, "She's just doing what any kit would do in this situation. And remember, we told Rose that we wouldn't hurt her kit, and I don't intend on making that a lie."

"Fine," Badger mumbled through a mouth full of fur, "Then you hold her."

"Fine, I will!"

Storm and his patrol approached the camp. Falcon was standing at the entrance.

"Why do you have a kit with you?" he demanded.

Storm put Gingersnap down and said, "Her mother was taking her through to forest. The kit looked strong, so we decided to take her."

"How old is she?"

"Probably about four moons."

"Good. She will be an apprentice. By any chance, did you get her name?"

"Yes," Storm replied, "Her name is Gingersnap."

"That will do," mused Falcon, "Take her to meet the other apprentices."

"Yes sir!" exclaimed Viper, and she leaned down to pick up Gingersnap.

"No! You won't!" cried an unfamiliar voice.

Storm whirled around to see a dark ginger tom standing on top of a rock.

"I am Sharpclaw!" the tom announced, "And I am the deputy of SkyClan! We are here to take back what doesn't belong to you! Give us Gingersnap, so we can give her back to Rose!"

Storm scoffed, "Who's this 'we'?"

"Us!" cried a chorus of other voices.

The BloodClan cats looked to see a group of cats behind Sharpclaw. Most of them looked tough, and ready to fight if necessary. A few were rather young, but they seemed determined. One black she-cat in particular looked as if she was ready to kill them all, even though she knew she couldn't.

But still, the SkyClan cats were outnumbered.

"Now," continued Sharpclaw, "You can either give us the kit, or we will fight you."

Falcon stalked around Storm and his patrol, and kept walking until he was face to face with Sharpclaw.

"We will fight," he stated calmly.

* * *

**You see, in BloodClan, kits become apprentices on their fourth moon instead of their sixth.**


	9. Chapter 8

After Falcon's threat, Sharpclaw snarled at him, and bowled into the brown tabby. In that instant, the tense but still atmosphere erupted into a chaotic battle scene. More BloodClan cats came from behind the bushes and attacked the SkyClan patrol. Shadepaw recognized three of the cats: Ice, Ragged, and Oscar.

She instantly went into a brawl with a young white she-cat who ran at her. They fought ferociously, thrashing about, until a dark silver tom cried, "Pearl!"

He came from behind and yanked Shadepaw off of Pearl, his eyes blue fire.

"Thanks, Venom," Pearl said, and slashed at Shadepaw. The SkyClan apprentice staggered back. A huge brown tabby came at them, and helped the two cats fight Shadepaw.

"Good job Whisker!" called a dark gray tom before jumping back into the fray.

Shadepaw was hopelessly outnumbered, and she was tiring quickly. Whisker held her down. She tried the move that had worked on Petalnose during training, but she couldn't shake the weight of the massive tom.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a brown tabby shape chase off a light gray BloodClan she-cat.

"Hazelpaw, help me!" Shadepaw cried. Her friend turned around, and then his light green eyes narrowed angrily at her attackers.

"Get off her!" he yowled furiously. At his voice, Sagewhisker turned around and, seeing Shadepaw being attacked, joined Hazelpaw to try to free her. Sagewhisker knocked Venom of easily, and Hazelpaw launched himself at Whisker. The two brown tabbies fought. After getting rid of Venom, Sagewhisker attacked Pearl, taking her out just as easily.

Shadepaw watched in horror as Hazelpaw tried his best against the BloodClan warrior, who was much larger than him. Most of her friend's attempts were in vain. Whisker was just too powerful. Shadepaw was about to help Hazelpaw, but something distracted her. Her father cried out in pain. She turned around to see him lying on the ground, and she could just barely make out the slight rise and fall of his sides.

Shadepaw could tell that Bounceheart had been trying to retrieve Gingersnap. The light ginger she-kit was sitting on top of a small rock, shaking violently. Standing next to Bounceheart was a dark gray tabby tom with amber eyes. Shadepaw's father got up, and tried once again to get Gingersnap, but the gray tom jumped out of the way. Then, he ran at Bounceheart, and sank his teeth into the back of his neck. Shadepaw saw her father's body go limp.

"No!" she screeched. She ran at the tabby tom and pushed him out of the way with her shoulder. He fell onto the leaf-littered forest floor.

Shadepaw looked at Bounceheart. He was completely still, and his deep green eyes were glazed. His fiery orange fur was smeared with blood. He was dead.

"No," Shadepaw whispered.

The fighting stopped.

Falcon announced, "It is over. We did not mean for the battle to go like this, not yet."

He turned to face Sharpclaw, "You can take Gingersnap."

The dark ginger deputy nodded, "Thank you."

Patchfoot picked up the kit in his jaws. Rockfall and Tinyflower, seeing their littermate dead, walked over to Shadepaw.

"I'm so sorry, Shadepaw," Tinyflower whispered.

Rockfall sighed sadly, "Your father knew what he was doing. If this is the way StarClan intended for him to die, then there was nothing we could have done to stop it."

Tinyflower and Rockfall picked up Bounceheart, so they could give him a proper vigil and burial when they got back to camp.

Before the Clan left, Shadepaw growled at the gray tom who had killed her father.

"You! What's your name?" she demanded.

He looked up at her.

"Storm."

* * *

Storm watched as the SkyClan cats left the clearing. The young black she-cat, Shadepaw, leaned against a brown tabby tom.

From the distance, Storm could hear her saying, "Thank you, Hazelpaw."

Storm pitied her. He shook the thoughts out of his head. He was deputy of BloodClan! He was a killer; he had no room for mercy. And yet, he was cursed with guilt.

Ruby tried to make him feel better, but it barely helped. Storm curled up and fell asleep, hoping to forget the sadness of this fateful day.


	10. Chapter 9

The SkyClan cats headed back to camp. Shadepaw leaned against Hazelpaw and said to him, "Thank you, Hazelpaw."

"For what?" he asked.

"You fought Whisker for me. I would have been doomed if you hadn't helped me."

"But what about Sagewhisker?" he asked spitefully, "He fought Pearl and Venom."

"Yes, but he could handle them quite easily. There's no way you could have beaten Whisker by yourself. But you tried anyway, for me."

"Well, I would have done the same for any Clanmate."

Shadepaw rolled her eyes. In the distance, she saw Sharpclaw nod slightly to Patchfoot, who took the lead, still holding Gingersnap. The deputy came back to join Hazelpaw and Shadepaw.

"Good job, son," he said, "I'm really proud of you. You fought bravely, and you helped your friend."

Hazelpaw's ears flattened in embarassment at his father's praise.

Shadepaw chuckled, "It's okay, Hazelpaw. I know what parents are like too."

That reminded her of Bounceheart. Shadepaw looked back to see that Rockfall and Tinyflower were still carrying her father. Their grief for their dead brother caused them to walk slower, tails drooping. The sight sent fury into Shadepaw's heart. The cat who had killed Bounceheart, Storm, would pay. But she was glad to know that her father would be safe, among the ranks of StarClan.

They made it back to camp.

When Rose saw her daughter back, she cried out with joy, "Gingersnap!" and ran over to retrieve the kit from Patchfoot.

"See, Rose?" said Sharpclaw, "We told you we'd bring Gingersnap back."

"Actually, it's Rosefrost now," she replied, "And this is Smokekit." The small gray tom jumped up and down, excited about his new Clan name.

"Congratulations!" Sharpclaw exclaimed.

Rosefrost leaned down, purring and said hello to Gingersnap.

"Good news, sweetie. We're SkyClan cats now, and you can get a new name, like Smokekit."

"But, I like my name," Gingersnap whined.

"Don't worry, Gingerkit," said Leafstar, "I promise that when you get your full warrior name, I'll let it be Gingersnap. Okay?"

"Okay!" Gingerkit agreed.

Cherrytail headed out of the warriors' den. She let out a cry of horror when she saw her mate, Bounceheart, dead.

"What happened?" she asked Rockfall.

The black tom hung his head, "He got killed by a BloodClan cat while trying to rescue Gingerkit."

"Oh no," the tortoiseshell she-cat whispered.

"Cherrytail," Shadepaw said, "I can't believe he's gone."

"It's okay," her mother encouraged, "Death is a part of life. Your father will be a welcome addition to StarClan."

Clovertail, Bounceheart's mother, wept, "I never thought I'd see the day that one of my kits died. I always expected that I'd be there to welcome them."

Sharpclaw leaned against his mate, "Don't worry. I promise I won't let that happen to Rockfall or Tinyflower."

Shadepaw couldn't help but laugh. Sharpclaw was not the father of Clovertail's kits. They had become mates moons after she had given birth. Their real father didn't stick around, so they had never met him. Clovertail said that he had jet black fur and amber eyes, but she never talked about him because it made Sharpclaw uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable.

Sharpclaw gave the apprentice a condescending look.

"Just you wait," he teased, "Someday you'll be in love, and you'll make promises that other cats will fing humorous. Then you'll think back and wish that you had never laughed at good old Sharpclaw."

"Right," she responded, unconvinced.

Soon enough, it was night time. The Clan shared tongues with the fallen Bounceheart for the last time, before they went to their den to sleep. A few stayed to sit vigil for the ginger warrior. They were Shadepaw, Rockfall, Tinyflower, Cherrytail, Clovertail, and Rosefrost. Cherrytail had looked at the latter skeptically, and the white queen had to explain.

"He died saving my daughter. I think I owe him this much."

She then asked Petalnose to watch Gingerkit and Smokekit for the night. Shadepaw's mentor nodded in agreement and scooped the two kits into the nursery. Petalnose knew what it was like to raise kits. She was the mother of Sagewhisker and Mintsong, and her mate, Rainfur, had died in the legendary battle against the rats. She had been through a lot, and Shadepaw was happy to have her as a mentor.

Shadepaw glanced sadly at her father's cold ginger pelt. She looked up at the sky and saw one star, shining brighter that all the others, right above her head. Shadepaw knew in her heart that the star was Bounceheart.

* * *

Storm looked up at the starlit sky. He knew that the stars were nothing more than lights in the night. Screw the rumors that you became one of them when you died! Storm had never believed them, not even once. Although, he did notice that one was a little brighter than the others, but he assumed it was just a coincidence.

Most of the Clan was sleeping, but Storm couldn't. In the darkness, he could barely make out the tortoiseshell form of the BloodClan medicine cat, Camo, sorting through herbs. She had gotten her name because of how her pelt helped camoflauge her in the forest background, even though in BloodClan's old territory, there was no forest. In BloodClan, the medicine cat didn't do foolish things, like dream about dead cats with stars in their fur, and their only job was to heal their Clanmates. Also, in BloodClan they were allowed to have mates.

"Hi there!" he said cheerfully, "Can't sleep either, huh?"

"Nope. So, I decided to make myself useful. Herbs don't sort themselves, you know," she replied.

"I guess."

"Storm, is something bothering you?" she asked.

"No. Well, actually, yes. Camo, do you believe in an afterlife?"

"I believe that when you die, your soul doesn't just disappear, but I don't think that dead cats can visit anybody in dreams. Besides, you remember how the warrior ceremony goes: 'Scourge, if you are somewhere listening, look upon this apprentice!' So, yes, I do believe in an afterlife."

"Okay," Storm responded, "Thank you Camo."

Storm went to his nest. He looked at the sky once again. The stars twinkled, as if they were alive. He wondered if the ginger tom he had killed today was now one of them.


	11. Chapter 10

Shadepaw paced around nervously. She had something she wanted to ask Leafstar about, but the leader was talking to Sharpclaw in her den.

"Hey, what's going on?" Leopardpaw asked.

"I'm waiting for Leafstar," Shadepaw replied.

"Why?"

"I think I have a way to deal with BloodClan."

"Well, good luck," said Leopardpaw.

A few moments later, Leafstar and Sharpclaw walked out of the den.

"Oh, Shadepaw," Leafstar said in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I have something to ask you about."

"Okay, come on in."

Shadepaw followed the leader into her den.

"So, what is it?" Leafstar asked.

"I have a way to deal with BloodClan. We should have a meeting with them to ask them nicely to leave SkyClan's territory. Maybe let them live outside our borders. That way, we won't have to fight them."

"That's a good idea. I should probably go, and bring Echosong and a couple warriors as well."

"Sure."

"Shadepaw, would you like to come?"

"Definitely!" Shadepaw agreed, nodding vigorously.

"Good."

Leafstar and Shadepaw walked out of the den and jumped onto the Rockpile.

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey join under the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!" Leafstar called. The SkyClan cats soon gathered below.

"Shadepaw has given me a very good idea. I am going to take some cats with me in order to have a diplomatic meeting with BloodClan. The cats coming with me are Echosong, Sharpclaw, Shadepaw, and Sparrowpelt! Wish us luck!"

The cats that were going gathered together.

"This is going to work; I just know it!" Sparrowpelt exclaimed.

"Don't be too sure," Echosong warned, "I don't think these BloodClan cats are the easiest to work with."

"Let's go!" Leafstar declared, and they headed out.

* * *

Storm was sharing tongues with Ruby and Claw. He hoped discussing his worries with his family might be a good idea. Claw thought that the best solution was to fight, he always did, but Ruby's level-headedness kept his violent ideals in check.

"Storm," his mate comforted him, "You need to relax. Just try to be a normal BloodClan cat. Our future doesn't weigh totally on your shoulders."

"I know," he sighed, "But I just can't shake the feeling that I have a big responsibility that I'm not filling."

"Don't worry. Everything will work out."

"I hope."

Soon, a rustling sound came from the bushes behind. Five cats came into the BloodClan camp. Storm instantly recognized one as Sharpclaw, the SkyClan deputy, and one as the young she-cat whose father he had killed. The others weren't familiar to him, but they smelled of SkyClan.

"Hello," Falcon addressed them suspiciously, "What is the meaning of this?"

The brown and cream she-cat at the front of the group dipped her head, "We come in peace. We would just like to have a meeting with you. Are you the leader?"

"Yes," Falcon replied, "I am Falcon, son of Scourge, killer of many, and leader of BloodClan."

"Very well. I am Leafstar, leader of SkyClan."

"Who would you like to come to this meeting?" Falcon asked.

"You, your deputy, your medicine cat, one of your most respected warriors, and one apprentice."

"Okay."

Falcon rounded up the cats who were to come.

"Right this way, Leafstar," he said mockingly.

The SkyClan cats followed him.

"Please, introduce your Clanmates," said Leafstar.

Falcon cleared his throat, "This is Storm, the deputy. This is Camo, the medicine cat. This is Ash, one of our warriors. And this is Oak, an apprentice."

Leafstar introduced the SkyClan cats, "This is Sharpclaw, the deputy. This is Echosong, the medicine cat. This is Sparrowpelt, a warrior. And this is Shadepaw, an apprentice."

Storm noticed that the SkyClan cats' names were different than his own and his Clanmates'. Shadepaw's eyes were narrowed furiously at him.

"Enough with the formalities!" Falcon growled, "What is this about?"

"We are giving you one more chance. You can either leave SkyClan's territory, or we can fight. You're choice."

"We are not leaving!" Falcon growled, "You leave!"

"No," Leafstar stated firmly, "SkyClan has lived here since our ancestors came to the gorge long ago, led by their honorable leader, Cloudstar. We are not giving up our territory to the likes of you."

"If you insist," Falcon sneered, "Then we will fight. I will give you one moon to prepare yourselves."

"If that is the way you want it."


	12. Chapter 11

**I've kind of gotten the amount of time lapsed in the storyline mixed up. Let me clarify: All the apprentices have been training for many moons now, and Leopardpaw & Hazelpaw became apprentices about a moon before Shadepaw. BTW: Probably last chapter. Get ready for Book 2: Clash!**

* * *

The SkyClan patrol went back to camp. As soon as they arrived, Leopardpaw and Hazelpaw ran to Shadepaw, shaking with excitement.

"Guess what!" Hazelpaw exclaimed.

"What?" Shadepaw asked.

"We were training, and then Patchfoot and Rockfall told us that we're ready for our final assessment. We're about to be warriors!" Leopardpaw announced.

"Whoa! Congratulations."

"Yeah, we've worked hard," Hazelpaw agreed, "So, how did the meeting with BloodClan go?"

"Awful." Shadepaw slumped over. "They refused to leave, and the leader, Falcon, gave us one moon to prepare for war."

"They've got some thick skin," Sagewhisker commented.

"Sagewhisker!" Shadepaw yelped in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Hazelpaw let out a sad sigh and walked away.

"Where are you going, Hazelpaw?" Leopardpaw asked, following her brother.

"I just thought I'd give them some privacy," he replied. He spat out the word 'them.'

Back with Sagewhisker, Shadepaw shifted her paws nervously while she talked. His green eyes were fixed on her every word, his ears perked with interest. All of his attention was focused on her, and it made Shadepaw a bit woosy.

After she explained what had happened, Sagewhisker said, "I hear that your friends are going to be warriors soon. Good for them."

"Yeah. You know, sometimes I wish they were my siblings, that way we'd do it about the same time, and I wouldn't be the only apprentice," Shadepaw joked.

Sagewhisker laughed, "I'm not sure Hazelpaw would like it if you were siblings."

"Why not?"

Sagewhisker looked away uncomfortably, "Um, forget I said anything. Never mind."

Shadepaw sighed, "Crazy furball." Inside, she was wondering what Sagewhisker's comment meant.

They continued to share tongues, but Shadepaw was now aware of Hazelpaw's sad green gaze from across the clearing. However, her friend got excited again when Rockfall and Patchfoot called him and his sister over. Shadepaw was happy for them; they had worked hard and deserved to be warriors.

"I can't wait to find out what their warrior names will be!" she told Sagewhisker.

"I'm sure they'll be great," he replied.

Later, Leopardpaw, Hazelpaw, and their mentors came back from the assessment. Leopardpaw carried a rabbit and two magpies in her jaws. She dropped them in the fresh-kill pile. Shadepaw saw that Hazelpaw carried nothing. Then, she saw that he had long scratches down his side, and he was limping. Behind him, Rockfall had a mouse, probably what Hazelpaw had caught.

"What happened?" she asked.

Hazelpaw's voice was shaky, "We were attacked by a BloodClan patrol."

"Oh no," Shadepaw whispered.

Leopardpaw licked her brother's ear, "Hazelpaw, you're being too modest. You didn't even mention that you killed a BloodClan warrior! Not to mention, you did it to save my life!"

"Whoa! Hazelpaw, that's amazing!"

"Well, to be honest, it was an apprentice," he replied shyly.

Shadepaw purred, "That's still incredible. You've definitely earned your warrior name."

"Yeah..." he said, then, he collapsed onto the ground. Shadepaw's eyes widened in fear, but she was soon relaxed by his breathing.

"Sorry," he gasped, "I'm just exhausted."

Shadepaw and Leopardpaw helped him up, and Shadepaw let him lean on her for support.

Leafstar padded out. "How did the assessment go... Hazelpaw, are you alright?"

Echosong took a long look at the brown tabby apprentice. "Don't worry, you'll live," she assured him.

Rockfall dropped the mouse on the pile. "Hazelpaw deserves to be a warrior."

"So does Leopardpaw. Her hunting was great," Patchfoot added.

"I agree," Leafstar said. She called the Clan together.

"I, Leafstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to be warriors in their term. Hazelpaw and Leopardpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"

"I do," they both replied.

"Then, bye the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Hazelpaw, from now on you shall be known as Hazelfur. StarClan honors your loyalty and sense of humor. Leopardpaw, from now on you shall be known as Leopardclaw. StarClan honors your quick thinking and understanding, and we welcome you as full warriors of SkyClan."

The Clan called out their new names. Hazelfur, still weak, leaned on Leopardclaw for support. The sight of the two siblings helping each other warmed Shadepaw's heart. She was slightly disappointed, but she was proud of her friends for becoming warriors.

* * *

Ice's patrol burst through the entrance. Splash and Scorch carried an apprentice, Oak.

"How did Oak die?" Storm asked.

"He attacked a SkyClan cat, a young, golden she-cat with brown spots, and another cat, a brown tabby tom, rescued her. He and Oak fought for a long time, and the SkyClan cat was badly hurt, but they kept fighting. Eventually, Oak was killed," Scorch replied. Splash was in tears for the loss of her son.

She spoke up, "If Oak had just fought a bit harder, he could've killed that other cat, and he could have become a warrior. He was so close, so close."

The BloodClan cats mourned the loss of Oak. His father and mentor, Badger, was one of BloodClan's top warriors, and much had been expected of the young brown tom. The death fueled Falcon's desire for war.

"Hello?" a she-cat's voice called, "Is anyone here? We've heard that there is a group of cats called BloodClan that have moved here."

"Yes!" Falcon replied, "We are BloodClan! I am the leader, Falcon."

A group of she-cats came through. They were all beautiful, and there was a powerful aura around them.

The she-cat in the front was brown and white with deep green eyes. She spoke, "Greetings. I am Ivy, leader of the Poison Ivy Sisterhood, and we have a preposition for you."


End file.
